Hungary's defense minister said that both the US and Hungary think that “a greater military presence is required in crisis zones and peace should be ensured as soon as possible so that local residents can stay and prosper in their homelands”

The positions of Hungary and the United States of America on military security and fighting terrorism are very similar, according to the Hungarian defense minister.

During a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, István Simicskó welcomed the United States’ approach toward fighting terrorism and resolving crises in other countries, and said that this position was “mostly identical” to Hungary's.

The minister said that both the US and Hungary think that “a greater military presence is required in crisis zones and peace should be ensured as soon as possible so that local residents can stay and prosper in their homelands”.

Minister Simicskó called the Brussels meeting “historic” and said that remarks by James Mattis, the US Secretary of Defense, have “set new directions” for NATO.

The minister also reaffirmed Hungary’s commitment to increasing its defense spending to at least 2 percent of GDP. Hungary aims to reach this target as soon as possible, he said.

According to MTI, the ministers were in agreement that NATO had been effective in addressing threats from the East, but had also concluded that the alliance would have to step up its fight against terrorism. Simicskó said the US could be expected to get tougher on “radical Islam”, while adding that ground operations had not been discussed at the meeting.

Regarding NATO-Russia relations, Minister Simicskó insisted that the alliance would have to engage in dialogue with Moscow. He added, at the same time, that NATO must also carry on with its policy of deterrence.